Planned Gifts & Bequests

If ideas excite you and you love cultural expression ... If you seek a safe place for children where they will experience the thrill of learning ... if independent and trusted voices are important to you ... then you understand the importance of WHYY.

A planned gift to WHYY can help you achieve your personal, financial, and estate planning goals while helping bring future generations the best in public media.

There are planned gifts that can reduce or eliminate taxes such as estate, income, capital gains or gift taxes. Other gift vehicles allow you to turn appreciated assets into income-producing fixed payments. We'd be happy to work with you and your advisors to help you plan a gift that WHYY that meets your needs.

If you would like to include a gift to WHYY in your estate plans without changing your will, consider making WHYY the beneficiary of one of these:

A life insurance policy

Your IRA or other retirement plan

A savings account

A stock brokerage account or mutual fund

Simply contact your insurance agent or IRA administrator and ask for a change of beneficiary form. You might be able to get the form online. Add WHYY, 150 N. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106; federal tax id number 23-1438083 as a new beneficiary to receive a portion of the death benefit/remainder.

For the bank and brokerage accounts, ask your representatives how you can make them Transfer on Death (TOD) accounts. Then name WHYY as the entity that will receive whatever remains in those accounts at your death.

A charitable gift annuity can be established with a gift of $10,000 or more to WHYY. In exchange for your gift, WHYY will pay you, and a second beneficiary, if you wish, income for life. The income you receive is determined by the amount of your gift and your age(s).

A Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) is formed by transferring assets to a trust. In most cases those assets are cash, stocks, bonds or real estate. The proceeds are reinvested, and you and/or another designated beneficiary(ies) receive income for life or a specified term of years. When the trust terminates, the trustee distributes the remaining assets to WHYY And any other charities you have designated.

There are two types of charitable remainder trusts:

Unitrust - The income you receive is a set percentage of the value of the trust's assets, which is revalued each year.

Annuity trust - Income payments are fixed and determined when the trust is set up. The annuity trust is most attractive to individuals who wish to avoid market risk.

Your benefits include income for life or a term of years, potential for low-yielding assets to turn into more income, a significant income tax deduction, no capital gain tax at the time of the gift if appreciated assets are used to fund the trust, potentially reduced estate taxes and probate costs.

A charitable lead trust can work well for individuals who face substantial estate and gift tax liability. Income-producing assets, such as stock or real estate, are irrevocably transferred to a lead trust, which pays income to an organization like WHYY for a number of years. Following the term of the trust, the property then transfers back to other individuals - typically the donor's children or grandchildren.

This is an excellent way to transfer assets that are expected to appreciate in value to your heirs because a charitable gift/estate tax deduction is allowed for the value of the payments received by WHYY.

A retained life estate may give you the tax advantages that a charitable gift of real estate would offer while allowing you to continue living in your personal residence for your lifetime. A retained life estate may also provide you with a way to let someone other than you or your spouse (perhaps a sibling or child) have life occupancy of your home with reduced tax obligations. Benefits include:

Lifetime use of the residence for you and/or another person.

Income tax savings through a charitable deduction.

Estate tax savings for you and/or your spouse.

Ability to gift only partial interest in property and receive tax advantages.

I'm not wealthy. How could I have an estate big enough to make a charitable gift?

Most people are surprised at the total value of their assets when they take into account their home, retirement plans, IRAs, personal property, cash, stocks, bonds and other investments. After providing for family and friends, it is often possible to plan a gift that is larger than you might imagine. And gifts such as Trusts or Charitable Gift Annuities can provide a donor with lifetime income, often with a higher return than many other investments.

I don't know much about planned giving. How can WHYY help me?

A member of WHYY's Development team would be happy to discuss your planned giving questions with you - with no obligation on your part to make a gift. We can provide you with general information, which you can then discuss with your financial and/or legal advisor. WHYY will never pressure you or share your information with third parties.

How can I make a gift to WHYY through my present will?

It's an easy process. Your attorney can simply add a "codicil" to your current will, using simple bequest language that allocates a fixed amount, a percentage of your estate or the remainder of you estate to WHYY. The correct language to use is listed in the Bequest in your Will section.

I've already made a gift to WHYY in my will, but I'm not sure if I want to remain anonymous or let WHYY know about it. How would notifying WHYY be of value to me?

We feel strongly about expressing our gratitude to you for your gift and would like to welcome you into WHYY’s Laurence LePage Society – which honors everyone who has included WHYY in his or her estate plans. Laurence LePage Society members are accorded the special recognition that goes with those who believe in sustaining lifelong learning for future WHYY generations. Your gift may also inspire others to give!

About WHYYWelcome to WHYY, Greater Philadelphia's leading public media provider, serving southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and all of Delaware for more than 50 years. We take pride in bringing our audience news when it needs it, entertainment when it wants it and education when it counts -- on television, radio and the Web and in the community.